


Give Me Another Chance

by SykoShadowRose



Series: Syko's 2020 Christmas Gift Collection [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Qrow is best uncle, Regretting Past Mistakes, Trying To Make Up For Them, male lactation mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:07:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28322121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SykoShadowRose/pseuds/SykoShadowRose
Summary: Tai learns that the dream he though he had was more than just a dream. He just had to hope it wasn't too late to make things right.
Relationships: Clover Ebi/James Ironwood, Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long
Series: Syko's 2020 Christmas Gift Collection [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074167
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	Give Me Another Chance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Killer_Wails](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Wails/gifts).



“Our daughters are destroying the forest again.” Tai sighed as he heard the loud snap of branches, passing both James and Clover a cup of tea at the kitchen table. The two took the cups with quiet thanks, politely ignoring the sounds of fighting and violence going on outside where the younger huntresses were “training”. 

Qrow hummed from where he was perched on the counter, something Tai had never been able to stop him from doing no matter how much he tried. At this point it had become more of an endearing trait than an annoying one though, so Tai had stopped trying to break the habit ages ago. “ _Your_ daughters. My nieces.”

“Qrow, you breastfed them both. They’re your daughters too.” The blond ducked at the vicious hiss that sounded from the shifter, barely getting out of the way as a bread knife embedded into the wall where his head had been. Pale blue eyes gave a mournful glance at the wall, thinking of the repairs he was going to have to do before flicking back to the fuming raven. 

“ _You swore we’d never speak of it!_ ” Qrow was crouched on the counter top, ready to pounce at the blond for bringing up the forbidden topic. An absent thought that it was times like these that made Qrow seem more cat-like than bird-like crossed Tai’s mind before he refocused on the threat in front of him.

Tai brought up both hands in surrender, trying to stop the fight before it truly began. Qrow had finally come back to him after three years of being absent, the last thing he wanted was to start a fight and drive the other off again. The last few years had been awful with nothing but brief scroll messages to even tell him that the smaller male and his daughters were even alive. “I’m only saying that you have just as much claim on them as I do, Qrow. There’s nothing to be upset about.”

“Nothing to-! I’m not upset!” He wasn’t actually. He was embarrassed but he wasn’t going to admit to it, even as he felt his cheeks heat. Growling in frustration, Qrow hopped down and stalked for the door, determined to get away from the blond before he said anything more. As much as he’d ached for the blond brute while he was helping “their” daughters save the world, he knew when he was a risk to those around him. His semblance _always_ spiked when he was upset and he wasn’t about to risk their safety just so he could stay close to the one person he trusted and loved completely. 

James and Clover watched as Tai reached out to snag Qrow by the waist as he rushed past him, able to see the brief flash of pain, of longing, on the narrow face before it was buried with a scowl. By the time Qrow was facing Tai again, he only saw the fierce look being leveled at him, having missed completely the vulnerability Qrow had shown. It made them wonder just how many times Tai had missed that look, just how long Qrow had been hiding. James was sure the only reason they’d seen it was because Qrow wasn’t used to others being around when he and Tai got this personal with each other. 

Clover glanced over at him, obviously wondering if they should leave to give the two men privacy, but both stayed silent, unwilling to draw attention to themselves by standing to leave. He reached over to take the tanned hand, trying to offer some comfort as the tensions in the room ratchet up several notches.

“Let. Me. Go.” Qrow growled out each word, teeth bared and hands clenched.

“No. You can’t just fly off every time something upsets you, Qrow. Yes your semblance acts up but if you don’t learn to let it out then it’s always going to get worse!” Tai tightened his grip, more fearful that Qrow would never come back than he was of Qrow flying off. If he just _knew_ Qrow would come back then he would be able to let the other go but every time Qrow flew off, Tai was left wondering if he would return or if he’d finally had enough of them. If he’d even survive wherever he was going. Salem might have been stopped for however long the vault keeping her prisoner held but the Grimm still existed. Tai feared that one day Qrow’s semblance would turn a battle in their favor, would take away the one thing he’d been able to keep since he was a teenager. 

The man in his arms bristled, jaw tightening as he breathed in deep. “I am going for a walk and you _will_ let me.”

Tai inclined his head, releasing Qrow at the unspoken promises of violence if he wasn’t set free. Crystal blue eyes watched through the glass as the slender form disappeared into the trees, barely noticing when James got up to follow. He only noticed Clover coming over to him when a hand fell on his shoulder.

“Come on, you look like you could use some air too.”

“Yea.” He sighed, wondered if he should apologize for what they’d seen, but followed silently as the brunette nudged him towards the door. Maybe a walk would help clear his head and they could talk when they all got back.

~*~

“So, how long has this thing between you and Tai been going on?” Qrow hunched in on himself when he heard the question, not surprised that James had been the one to follow him. He had realized shortly after leaving what all the two men at the table must have been able to see from where they’d been. They both knew Qrow wouldn’t be able to misdirect James or distract him from the topic.

“Tai and I _don’t_ have a _thing_ , Jimmy and you should know that by now.” No. What they’d had was a single night. Nothing more than a few hours together before he’d been forgotten, ignored, for a better option.

“You know what I meant Qrow. Clover and I both saw it in the kitchen.” Deep blue calmly held the fierce glare that turned to him, waiting for when Qrow finally accepted that James wasn’t going to accept his non-answer as an actual answer. He saw the fractures in the mask Qrow wore, wondered how long it had been cracking, how much longer it could hold before Qrow needed to let it out to someone. He was willing to be the shoulder his friend needed, if only Qrow would accept it. He prayed he would.

Red held blue for several long moments, seconds stretching and twisting until it felt like hours, days had passed and one looked away. Qrow shoulders slumped in defeat, face falling as he let his misery show to one of the few he trusted not to use it against him. “Started a long time ago for me. Probably back at Beacon but… only really became a thing after Raven left.” Slender arms wrapped around a narrow waist as Qrow remembered a night, years ago. “Tai was upset and we got drunk. I don’t know how much he remembers of us being together but… It was just one night, we were together in his room and…” He drew a shaking breath, blinking back the wetness that clung to his lashes. It was stupid, useless to shed a tear for something that hadn’t really been lost, for something that had never been his. “It doesn’t matter. He hooked up with Summer a few weeks later so it probably didn’t mean anything to him even if he does remember it. Certainly didn’t mean as much as it meant to me anyways. Just… let it go, okay?”

James’s chest ached at the pain in Qrow’s voice and he reached out, pulling the heartsick hunter to him to offer what little comfort he could. The shorter man buried his face in the strong shoulder, allowing James to bear his weight while he finally allowed himself to cry the tears he’s swallowed down for nearly two decades, refusing to cry for losing something that had never really been his to claim no matter how much he treasured it. Tai was not and had never been his, regardless of what he had hoped that night.

~*~

Clover tugged on a tanned arm, pulling the shocked Tai away from the scene of James and Qrow together. When he’d brought the other out to walk he hadn’t thought they’d stumble across his lover comforting the smaller man. Maybe it was just his semblance trying to set things right but Clover felt vaguely guilty for overhearing as much as he had, even if it seemed the blond needed to hear it.

“I thought it was just a dream…” Tai’s voice was faint, mind lost in the past as he tried to pull up every memory he could of that night. 

“What?” Clover frowned, not quite sure he’d heard the other properly with how quietly he’d spoken. Tai looked to him, eyes still distant. 

“That night. I had thought it was just a dream I had. He wasn’t in bed with me when I woke up and it… wasn’t the first time I’d dreamt of it so I just… assumed it was another one. I didn’t know it had actually happened.” He leaned against a tree, sinking down to sit on the hard ground. “This whole time… I could have… Why didn’t he…?”

Clover knelt down, placing a hand on Tai’s shoulder again as the blond buried his face in his hands. There was no easy fix for this, as much as he wished there was. He could only offer support and hope that the two of them would be able to realize just how much they meant to each other. For now, he’d watch over the torn man until he was okay enough to return home.

~*~

James shared a look with Clover, the Captain nodding slightly as he nudged Tai over closer to Qrow so he could fit in on the end of the couch. The blond glanced at him before hesitantly scooting closer to the lithe hunter, obviously realizing the two of them were up to something, probably guessing what it was, but not saying anything. They wondered if he was hoping things would turn out better with them calling the shots. Whatever the case, they retired early, going upstairs to the guest room and leaving the other two to hopefully talk things out while the girls were staying over with some friends from Signal. 

Tai glanced over to where Qrow was leaning against the arm of the couch, legs curled under him while he read from a book Tai didn’t recognize. The show they had been watching continued on quietly in the background and he just took a moment to _really look_ at Qrow. The soft color of his eyes, the sharp angle of his jaw. He noticed a bare patch in his stubble from a scar that hadn’t been there before. Blue eyes lifted back up to find red staring back at him, the hunter having felt the eyes on him even in the house where he felt safest. Tai said nothing, simply reaching out to brush his fingers along the new mark and Qrow’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“I…” Tai swallowed hard, not sure how to start but knowing that anything he said was likely to send the other running off, He’d have to admit what he heard earlier and Qrow always spooked when his secrets were revealed before he was ready to tell them. “I thought that night was a dream.”

Qrow breath hitched, shoulders tensing as he tried to ignore the obvious meaning behind Tai’s words. “That night?” His voice was too uncertain to properly play it off, to act like he didn’t know what Tai meant, but he still tried for the sake of his own heart. Tai turned off the screen so they could hear each other clearly. 

“When we were together. I had dreamed of being with you _so many times_ and when I woke up alone I thought it was just another dream.” Tai watched as Qrow closed his eyes, as the other leaned into the faint touch just slightly.

“Yang was crying. I went to go take care of her. That’s why…” Qrow paused, twisting away and blinking his eyes open. 

“That’s why you weren’t there when I woke up.” Tai’s fingertips touched the soft skin under Qrow’s chin, tipping his face back towards him. “Qrow, I know I didn’t say anything cause I thought it was all in my head but… why didn’t you say something?”

“I… I thought you just wanted the one night. You know, get it out of your system or something. Maybe you were lonely and I was convenient…” Lips pressed against his, gently silencing him before he said anything more. 

“I wish I had known the truth. I would have done something…” Tai whispered against Qrow’s lips when he pulled away. “I can’t fully regret the past, not with Ruby being born, but let me try again?” He leaned back, hopeful blue staring into stunned red. “Stay with me tonight. We’ll go from there tomorrow. Take it day by day?”

Qrow looked at the hand that was held out to him when Tai stood up, at the offer behind the hand and what it meant. He swallowed nervously as he placed his own into the outstretched palm, setting his book to the side. “Day by day.” He could do that. And hopefully it would become something more in the future.


End file.
